Solid Freeform Fabrication 2016: Proceedings of the 27th

26th Annual International

Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium – An Additive Manufacturing Conference
Reviewed Paper

ANALYZING THE TENSILE, COMPRESSIVE, AND FLEXURAL PROPERTIES OF

3D PRINTED ABS P430 PLASTIC BASED ON PRINTING ORIENTATION USING
FUSED DEPOSITION MODELING

R. Hernandez, D. Slaughter, D. Whaley, J. Tate, and B. Asiabanpour

Ingram School of Engineering, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas 78666
Abstract
To achieve the optimum functionality and mechanical properties in the AM-based parts, it is
vital to fully characterize parts under static mechanical loadings (tension, compression, and
flexure) that are built in different orientations. This research reports the results of the
compression (ASTM standard D695), 4-point flexure (ASTM D790), and tensile (ASTM D 638
Type I) tests on the ABS plastic specimens that are designed according to the ASTM standards
and are built in different orientations using the uPrint SE Plus 3D printer. This study examined
the effects that printing 3D parts in different orientations (build angles) has on the mechanical
properties of ABS P430 plastic. A total of 45 samples (15 tension, 15 compression, and 15
flexure) were printed in 5 orientations; 0 degrees in the XY plane, 45 degrees in the XY plane,
90 degrees in the XY plane, 45 degrees in the Z plane, and 90 degrees in the Z plane. The
hypothesis was that the samples printed 0 degrees in the XY plane would be the strongest in
compression and flexure, and also have the greatest modulus of elasticity. The samples printed
90 degrees in the XY plane were predicted to be the strongest in tension, having the largest
tensile strength and lowest modulus of elasticity. The findings showed that printing 90 degrees in
the XY plane resulted in the highest tensile strength compared to the other orientations, but not
by a significant margin. Printing 0 degrees in the XY plane significantly increased the
compressive and flexure strengths of the material compared to other orientations.
Introduction

As additive manufacturing is becoming an integral part of engineering processes and more parts
are being printed for final use rather than prototypes, it is important to understand which build
orientations give the part longevity depending on the parts specific use. This paper focuses only
on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) as there are many more 3D printing techniques. FDM is
an additive manufacturing technology commonly used for modeling, prototyping, and production
applications [1]. Figure 2 shows the FDM process, laying down material in layers using plastic
filament or metal wire that is unwound from a coil and supplies material to produce a part [2].
Many parts can be built in various directions and orientations to achieve the same result.
Typically, 3D printed parts are built using an orientation that will use the least amount of time
and material. The question is, would this affect the strength of the part being built? In order to
test this, samples were designed in CAD software to be printed in 5 different orientations with
respect to the X, Y, and Z-axis using ABS P430 produced by Stratasys. The samples were
designed based on ASTM standards corresponding to the type of mechanical test (tension,
compression, and flexure). Figure 1 displays how each tensile specimen was oriented for
printing. Compression and flexure samples were also oriented in this fashion.

Build speed of the uPrint is closely related to material use. In general terms, a lesser amount of
support will allow for greater build speed. Another factor affecting speed is the axis orientation.
The printer can build faster across the XY plane, than it can along the Z-axis. Therefore,

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orienting a part so that it is 'shorter' within the modeling envelope will produce a quicker build.
A model is stronger within a layer than it is across layers. Depending upon what features a part
must demonstrate, it may need to be oriented in a way to have its greatest strength across a
specific area [3].

Loyola Marymount University’s Mechanical Engineering Department has performed research

studying the effects of varying layer orientations of ABS plastic using Fused Deposition
Modeling. This study focused on ABS P400, also produced by Stratasys. In the area of tensile
strength, samples printed in the 0 degrees orientation were significantly stronger (ultimate/yield)
than those printed in any other orientation with an average ultimate strength of 20.6 MPa. The
weakest orientation observed was printed 45 degrees with an average ultimate strength of 7 MPa
[4]. ABS P400 is similar to P430, so we expect to see results like those seen in Table 1.
Table 1: Tensile Properties of ABS P400 Based on Printing Orientation [4].

In another study of the anisotropic material properties of fused deposition modeling ABS, there
was not much of a difference in the compressive strengths of the samples based on build
orientation. Although the compressive strength of FDM samples was higher than the tensile

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strength, the ultimate and yield strength was not affected much by build direction. Because of the
anisotropic behavior of the parts made by the FDM process, the strength of a local area in the
part depends on the direction of the beads of material (roads) relative to the loading of the part
rather than the angle at which the parts were printed. Raster orientation and air gaps were most
important in determining strength in the samples [5].

Figure 1: Specimens in various degree orientations

Methods and Materials

Printing
 3D Printer: uPrint SE Plus
o Model Material: ABS P430
o Support Material: SR-30 soluble
o Layer resolution: 0.254mm

uPrint SE Plus 3D printer has fixed parameters. Machine doesn’t allow changing any parameters.

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 Figure 2: FDM Process [2]

Testing
Apparatus:
The apparatuses used for these experiments are as follows:
 Testing Machine: MTS 810 Material Test System Load Unit
 Drive Mechanism: MTS Hydraulic Power Unit
 Load Indicator: MTS FlexTest System Electronics
 Micrometers: Whitworth Digital Caliper
o Range: 0.01-150mm
o Resolution: 0.01mm

Figure 3: MTS Servohydraulic Test System

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Test Specimens:
For tension, test specimens were manufactured according to ASTM D638. Dimensions used
corresponded to Type I dogbone specimens, having an overall length of 165 mm, an overall
width of 19 mm, a depth of 7 mm, a narrow width of 13 mm, a narrow length of 57 mm, a radius
fillet of 76 mm, and a gage length of 50 mm [6]. According to ASTM standard D695, the
specimen dimensions for unreinforced plastics in compression are a cylinder of size 12.7 mm in
diameter by 25.4 mm in length [7]. As for flexure, ASTM standard D790 states the dimensions
for thermoplastic materials are to be 127 mm in length, 12.7 mm in width, and 3.2 mm in depth
[8].
Conditioning:
All specimens were conditioned at room temperature, approximately 24°C, at least 40 hours
prior to testing. Each mechanical test was performed under similar temperature conditions to
conditioning [6] [7] [8].
Number of Test Specimens:
Normally, the standard number of isotropic test specimens per sample required by all three
ASTM standards is at least five. However, due to time constraints, only three specimens per
sample were tested [6] [7] [8].
Speed of Testing:
The speed of each tension test was held at a constant rate of 5 mm/min [6], while the speed of
each compression and flexure tests was held at a constant rate of 1.3 mm/min [7] [8], each
relative to the motion of the test fixtures.
Procedure

Test specimens were modeled in MasterCAM according to their respective ASTM standards. They
were then exported and printed on the u-Print SE Plus 3D printer in ABS P430. For each mechanical
test, three specimens were printed for each orientation on various axes: 0 degrees in the XY plane, 45
degrees in the XY plane, 90 degrees in the XY plane, 45 degrees in the Z plane, and 90 degrees in the
Z plane.

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 Results
Tension

Figure 4: ABS P430 FDM Tension Sample

Figure 5: Tension Stress vs. Strain Curves of ABS P430 in Various Orientations
Tensile Stress vs. Strain Curves for ABS
P430
12
45-deg Z
90-deg Z
10
90-deg XY
Stress, MPa

8
45-deg XY 0-deg XY
6

0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09
Strain, mm/mm

0-deg XY 45-deg XY 90-deg XY 45-deg Z 90-deg Z

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Compression

Figure 6: ABS P430 FDM Compression Sample

Compression Stress vs. Strain Curves for

ABS P430
70
0-deg XY 90-deg Z
60
50
Stress, MPa

90-deg XY
40
30
45-deg Z
20
45-deg XY
10
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35
Strain, mm/mm

0-deg XY 45-deg XY 90-deg XY 45-deg Z 90-deg Z

Figure 7: Compression Stress vs. Strain Curves of ABS P430 in Various Orientations
Data for the stress-strain curves are capped at a strain of approximately 30 mm/mm, roughly
equivalent to an axial displacement of 7.62 mm, or 30% of the original length. This distance was
decided based on the nature of ABS plastic. A preliminary test was conducted on a cylindrical
sample. The sample was compressed until it was almost entirely flattened by the test fixtures.
The data collected showed that there was no definite point of failure, so a cutoff point needed to
be established, as seen in Figure 7 [7]. It should be noted that strain is computed as moving head
displacement of moving head divided by gage length. Since no strain gages were used, strain and
modulus data is only for relative comparison between various orientations.

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Flexure

Flexure tests were conducted as per ASTM D790 and sample is exhibited in Figure 8. Figures 9
display load vs moving head displacement curves for various orientations. It should be noted that
displacement of moving head is assumed as deflction while computing flexural modulus. Since
no LVDT was used, flexural modulus data is only for relative comparison between various
orientations.

Figure 8: ABS P430 FDM Flexure Sample

Flexural Load vs. Displacement Curves for

ABS P430
250
0-deg XY
200
Load, N

150
45-deg Z
45-deg XY
100
90-deg Z
50
90-deg XY
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Displacement, mm

0-deg XY 45-deg XY 90-deg XY 45-deg Z 90-deg Z

Figure 9: Flexure Load vs. Displacement Curves of ABS P430 in Various Orientations

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 Discussion
Table 2 indicates the tensile, compressive, and flexural test data for all categories. Values in
parenthesis indicate standard deviations. Figures 10 and 11 show the strength and moduli of all
five orientations, respectively. ABS P430 printed in 90 degrees in the Z plane shows the highest
tensile strength of the five orientations, equaling 10.8 MPa. This orientation also has the largest
percent elongation and the lowest modulus of elasticity, 6.92% and 586 MPa, respectively.
However, the tensile strengths of the other four orientations fall very close to the highest tensile
strength recorded. The percent difference between the largest and smallest tensile strengths was
calculated to be 14.3%, a relatively small margin. According to the manufacturer, ABS P430 has
a tensile strength of 37 MPa, a percent elongation of 3%, and a tensile modulus of 2320 MPa [9].
The drastic difference in values between the collected data and the manufacturer’s data could be
a result of a difference in printing methods or printing accuracy. Regardless, this data can still be
used to compare strengths amongst the different build angles. For compression, ABS P430
printed 0-degrees in the XY plane resulted in the largest compressive strength, compressive yield
strength, and modulus values, 59.3 MPa, 44.1 MPa, and 854 MPa, respectively, compared to the
other orientations. There was a 67.4% difference between the highest compressive strength of 0-
degrees in the XY plane (59.3 MPa) and the lowest of 45-degress in the XY plane (29.4 MPa).
There is no data currently available from the manufacturer on the compressive properties of ABS
P430, but from comparing the data collected from these samples to one another, 0-degrees in the
XY plane appears to be the strongest overall. In flexure, ABS P430 printed 0-degrees in the XY
plane resulted in a strain value of 5 mm/mm, and a flexural strength of 122 MPa, the highest of
any of the orientations. ABS P430 printed 45-degrees in the XY plane resulted in a strain value
of 5 mm/mm, and also a flexure modulus of 3630 MPa. The percent difference between the
highest and lowest flexural strengths (122 MPa and 59.5 MPa) equaled to 69.2%, while the
percent difference between the highest and lowest flexural modulus (3630 MPa and 2200 MPa)
was 49.1%. According to the manufacturer’s website, ABS-P430 has a flexural strength of 53
MPa, and a flexural modulus of 2250 MPa [9].
Table 2: Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed ABS P430 in Various Build Angle

Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed ABS P430 in Various Build Angles

Build Angles 0-deg in XY 45-deg in XY 90-deg in XY 45-deg in Z 90-deg in Z
Tensile Strength, MPa 10.0 (0.16) 9.46 (0.84) 10.8 (0.19) 9.47 (0.44) 9.36 (0.50)
% Elongation 5.50 (0.90) 2.99 (0.26) 6.92 (1.0) 1.69 (0.04) 1.47 (0.02)
Tensile Modulus, MPa 602 (0.25) 631 (26) 586 (52) 707 (43) 737 (2.6)
Compressive Strength, MPa 59.3 (1.3) 29.4 (0.44) 37.2 (0.29) 34.2 (0.40) 45.5 (0.90)
*Compressive Modulus, MPa 854 (0.15) 748 (0.11) 832 (0.07) 527 (0.05) 760 (0.02)
Flexural Strength, MPa 122 (1.6) 99.6 (3.1) 60.9 (10.) 59.5 (2.1) 59.8 (7.4)
*Flexural Modulus, MPa 3410 (110) 3630 (150) 2950 (150) 2200 (45) 3100 (100)

*Note: Compressive and flexural mouli are computed to compare the performance between
various orientations. These are not absolute values. Values in the parentheses indicate standard
deviation.

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 Strengths of Various Printing Orientations
of ABS P430
140

120

100
Strength, Mpa

80

60

40

20

0
Tensile Strength Compressive Strength Flexural Strength

0-degrees XY 45-degrees XY 90-degrees XY 45-degrees Z 90-degrees Z

Figure 10: Strengths of Various Printing Orientations of ABS P430

Modulus of Various Printing Orientations

of ABS P430
4000
3500
3000
Modulus, MPa

2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Tensile Modulus Compressive Modulus Flexural Modulus

0-degrees XY 45-degrees XY 90-degrees XY 45-degrees Z 90-degrees Z

Figure 11: Modulus of Elasticity of Various Printing Orientations of ABS P430

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 Conclusions
It can be concludedthat there is no significant difference in tensile strength of ABS P430 when
altering the orientation, with the highest and lowest values ranging from 9.36 MPa to 10.8 MPa.
Although, ABS P430 90-degrees in the XY plane proved to have highest percent elongation of
6.92% but lowest tensile modulus. 90-degrees in the XY plane orientation shall provide better
toughness. ABS P430 90-degrees in the Z plane had the highest tensile modulus of 737 MPa but
lowest percent elongation. 90-degrees in the Z plane orientation shall provide makes material
stiff but at the expense of toughness. Build angles seem to play a larger factor in the compressive
and flexural properties of this material. A compressive strength of 59.3 MPa and a flexural
strength of 122MPa, both orientated 0-degrees in the XY plane, were calculated to be the highest
values in their respective categories.The highest compressive modulus was 854 MPa for 0-
degrees in the XY plane whereas highest flexural modulus was 3630 MPafor 45-degrees in the
XY plane. Depending on the application, build orientation can and does make a difference in the
strength, stiffness, and toughness of the part.
References
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Rapid Prototyping Fused Deposition Modelling Technology. International Journal of
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9. Amtek. (2016). Dimension ABS Plus Model Material - P430. Retrieved from Amtek
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